Influence of ultrasonic dual mode mixing on morphology and mechanical properties of ZrO2-epoxy nanocomposite

Dispersion of nanoparticles and its effect on the mechanical properties were investigated by fabricating nanocomposites via mechanical mixing (MM) and ultrasonic dual mode mixing (UDMM) methods. The mechanical mixing of ZrO2 nanoparticles in epoxy resin was employed using glass rod stirring and the ultrasonic dual mode mixing was employed by ultrasonic vibration along with magnetic stirring to produce ZrO2-epoxy nanocomposite. Micrographs obtained using a field emission scanning electron microscope revealed an improved dispersion quality of ZrO2 nanoparticles especially for the UDMM method. The improvement in dispersion was reflected in much improved tensile and fracture properties of the nanocomposite.